Harness-buckle.



PA'TENTED DEC. 10, 1907. B. I. ALLISON. HARNESS BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 16 1907 INVENTOR 22%,; J 41% WITNESSES 6 y Y EDWARD I. ALLISON, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

HARNESS-B UCKLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed February 16. 1907. Serial No. 357.727;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD I. ALLISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to buckles, and more particularly to tongueless buckles which may be applied to harness at any convenient point.

One object is the provision of a neat substantial yet inexpensive device adapted for use with the breeching of a harness where it may be located in an inconspicuous position.

Another object is the provision of a buckle adapted to connect two diverging straps with a separate third strap to carry the harness in a graceful position on the horse.

A further object attained by the omission of the tongue is that there is left no projection on which to catch the tail of the animal, or the reins.

Hitherto, it has been customary to provide buckles connecting the hip-strap to the breeching, the extra length of the end of the hip-strap being loose and under which the reins frequently caught, but by the use of my invention the buckles formerly used may be omitted, and the hip-strap attached to the small ring on each side of the breeching.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a flat approximately triangular plate or buckle adapted to secure the diverging hip-straps to the back and crupper straps without the use of pivoted tongues, and in such manner that the hip-straps can be easily and quickly released or secured in position and adjusted as desired.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in certain novel features and combinations such as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention applied to a harness, portions of the back strap, crupper strap and hip straps being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the buckle alone Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the means for securing the buckle to the crupper and back straps; and Fig. 4 is a detail showing the connection between the breeching and hip straps.

The buckle comprises an approximately triangular late (A) which may be made of any suitabfe sheet or cast metal, and of any suitable size. Near the apex, the triangular plate is slotted, as at (1), the apex being raised abovethe body portion of the plate to permit the assage of a strap through the slot (1) anf beneath the integral metallic keeper (2) formed by the apex of the plate. The rear 0 posite ends of the plate are beveled or incfined, as shown at (3) (3) and are slotted, as at (4) (4), the slots being arranged at angles to each other perpendicularly to the adjacent converging sides of the plate (A), the beveled or inclined portions (3) (3) of the plate being raised to form keepers beneath which the hip straps (5) (5) pass, the hip straps being provided with suitable holes (6) (6) in the usual manner adapted to receive the lugs (7) (7) punched out of the metal of the plate at points between the slots (4) (4) and slot (1), the lugs being rigid and preferably lying adjacent the slots (4) (4).

As one means for securing the buckle to the back strap or to the crupper strap, I may provide the plate intermediate the slots (4) (4) with a series of apertures (8) (8) arranged preferably in an acute angle, the base of which coincides with the base of the plate.

The back strap (9) passes preferably beneath the buckle (A) which is thereby prevented from contact with the animal, and hence does not injure the skin.

The forward end of the crupper strap (10) is received on top of the plate and is preferably pointed or beveled, as shown at (11) to fit the converging ends of the hip strap (5) (5), stitching (12) passing through the apertures (8) (8) and connecting the forward end of the crupper strap, the buckle, and the rear end of the crupper strap all together. Thus the forward end of the crupper strap lies be tween the raised keepers (3) (3) of the buckle. The inclined side edges of the buckle are provided with ribs (13) (13) which, together with the forward end of the crupper strap, serve as guides to retain the ends of the hip straps in position.

The ends of the hip strap, when secured to the buckle pass beneath the keepers (3) (3), through the slots (4) (4), over that portion of the plate between the slots (4) (4) and the long slot (1), through such long slot (1) and beneath the front keeper (2), whereby the free ends of the hip straps are held together, sliding keepers (14) (14) embracing the free ends of the hip straps and back strap, to re tain them in a neat position, the lugs (7) (7) being received in the holes (6) (6) in the hip straps, which latter are, of course, adjustable relative to the buckle (A).

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A harness buckle comprising an approximately triangular plate slotted near its front end, the plate also provided with slots adjacent its rear angles, and having raised keepers located adjacent the slots, rigid projections pressed out of the plate adjacent the slots and opposite the keepers, means for securing the buckle to the harness, and guide ribs extending along the sides of the plate.

2. In a harness, the combination with hip straps, a crupper strap and a back strap, of an approximately triangular plate slotted at its corners, and rovided with apertures intermediate the s ots, the crupper strap lying upon the plate and covering the apertures, the back strap extending beneath the plate and crupper strap, means passing through the apertures for connecting the buckle, and crupper and back straps respectively, the plate also provided with raised keepers located adjacent the slots and rigidv means adapted to engage the hip straps passing beneath the raised keepers and through the slots.

3. In a harness, the combination with converging straps and an intermediate strap, of a buckle located at the juncture of the con verging straps with the intermediate strap, the buckle comprising a slotted flat plate, the slots being arranged in triangular relation, two of which slots are located at an angle to each other to receive the converging straps, means carried by the buckle for holding the converging straps in place, the straps together passing through the remaining slot and adjustable keepers for retaining the free ends of the converging straps and the inter mediate strap together.

4. In a harness, the combination with converging straps and an intermediate strap, of a buckle located at the juncture of the converging straps with the intermediate strap,

the buckle comprising a slotted flat plate, the

slots being arranged in triangular relation, two of which slots are located at an angle to each other, to receive the converging straps, and means carried by the buckle for holding the converging straps in place, the straps together passing through the remaining slot.

5. The combination with a continuous back and crupper strap, and independent hip straps converging toward the continuous strap, of a slotted plate secured to the continuous strap, the slots being arranged triangularly relative to each other and two of the slots arranged. aslant relative to each other to receive the converging apertured hip straps, the hip straps passing through the respective slanted slots and thence through the single remaining slot, raised keepers carried by the plate adjacent the slots beneath which the hip straps pass, and rigid lugs carried by the plate and receivable in the apertures in the hip straps.

6. A buckle comprising a slotted flat plate, the slots occupying a triangular relation rela tive to each other, converging apertured straps passing individually through two of the slots and thence through the remaining slot, rigid lugs carried by the plate and receivable in the apertures in the hip straps and an intermediate strap to which the buckle is secured.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD I. ALLISON.

Witnesses RALPH S. VVARFIELD, A. A. EASTERLY. 

